Channel Safety Systems

Type: MBI/Mezzanine
Total Invested: £1.13 million
Date Completed: December 2010
Sector: Support services & electronics
Website: www.channelsafety.co.uk

Company Background
Established in 1976 in Petersfield, Hampshire, CSS designs, distributes, installs and services fire safety systems and emergency lighting products. CSS employs over 60 people and has strong customer relationships with electrical wholesalers, such as Edmundsons, Rexel and Wilts Electrical. Other customers include local authorities and contractors.

Foresight Investment
In December 2010, Foresight supported a management buy-in of CSS, providing £1.1 million of mezzanine funding alongside a term loan and working capital facilities from Barclays Corporate and investment from the MBI team.

Deal Attractions
Demand for CSS’s products, systems and services is driven by health and safety regulation and, increasingly, carbon reduction initiatives and legislation, which CSS addresses with its LED emergency lighting range. The MBI team, led by Peter Mazalon, have extensive market sector experience and saw an opportunity to develop and grow the business across all three divisions of Fire Detection, Emergency Lighting and Maintenance Services. The company is well established, with turnover of over £8.5m, and CSS traded profitably and cash generatively through the depths of the credit crunch, underlining the business' robustness.

Meet The Team